Breaking Dallas News – Page 29 – The Other Side Dallas

June 21, 2022June 21, 2022

Tristan Hallman – Fall Guy or Janitor?

Is Tristan Hallman a fall guy or the mayor’s janitor trying to clean up the inevitable mess that follows him?

Ten days ago Dallas expected TC Broadnaz to be cleaning his office by now. Instead it appears Broadnax is stronger than ever and has a council majority behind him.

For groups like the Dallas Builders Association the anger is palpable. The same for Dallas Professional Firefighters. They are starting to point fingers not only at Eric Johnson, but Tristan Hallman, too.

Hallman is the former Dallas Morning News reporter/editor who is the mayor’s policy chief.

Tristan Hallman Helped Eric Johnson Win Bum Steer Award

Tristan Hallman – Man In The Middle

Some city employees accuse Hallman of fabricating city council signatures. Those signatures were on the five signature memo putting Broadnax contract for discussion.

The Broadnax agenda item fell off the schedule once it was obvious Broadnax would not resign. It appears either the Mayor or his acting chief of staff can not count to eight. (Eight votes are needed to remove Broadnax from his position.)

Adam Bazaldua’s name appeared on the five signature memo calling to review Broadnax.

He was unquivocal: “mayor’s staff fabricated this memo and submitted it to themselves.”

Other Side Dallas reached out to Hallman more than a week ago with no response. This is a stern accusation and it isn’t clear who will investigate it.

Hallman – Not All Failure

Hallman is not a complete failure. He has helped the mayor win at least one award.

While Mayor Johnson was unable to defund the bureaucracy he did win an award. Texas Monthly gave Johnson a Bum Steer Award. They credited his ability to ‘managed to alienate almost everyone.’

While Texas Monthly notes Johnson’s decade of time in the state legislature, they fail to mention any accomplishments.

The Johnson-Hallman duo has shown complete ineptitude on both economic development and sports.

Earlier this month, Johnson argued for another NFL franchise in Dallas. NFL watchers stated the obvious: Eric Johnson is an idiot. “Jerry Jones won’t allow a team in San Antonio, why would he here?”

June 20, 2022June 19, 2022

No Colored Allowed At Fretz Waterpark

No colored allowed at The Cove at Fretz Park in north Dallas on the anniversary of Juneteenth. A grim reminder of why the holiday exists.

Sunday, an African American family was not allowed to enter the Cove at Fretz Park. All three – with four children – had paid their entrance fee. They said they were there to sunbathe, picnic, and swim. Staff said they could not enter because of their clothing. One was wearing a Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey. They had bathing suits also.

This happened on Sunday, Father’s Day and on the Juneteenth holiday. Juneteenth is the anniversary of the 1965 Emancipation Proclamation. It appears Dallas Aquatics wants to lock African American out of recreation opportunities.

Anglo and Latino familes entered wearing similar clothes and food items. This subtle no colored allowed behavior by staff “is awful,” said the person reporting to us.

Per one bystander this was “Dallas being Dallas. You give a city employee a bit of power and they think they’re king.”

No Colored Allowed or ADA Complaints

Another family with a child with an ADA issue stated they were not allowed to use a swim mask. The child uses it to avoid water entering his nose to avoid anxiety attacks.

A second bystander at Fretz on Sunday said the swimmer’s parent informed staff that this was not a rule. He offered to show them the rules from Dallas Aquatics Director Robin Steinshnider. Afterwards, the staff supervisor said they “make their own rules at Fretz.”

The rules are here on the Dallas Aquatics site:

Dallas-Swim-Rules Download

Dallas Aquatics Still Recovering From COVID19

It appears Dallas has still not handled confusing, and inconsistently, applied rules from one facility to the other.

Post lock down, season tickets had to book entry times.

There were several people who had season passes for last year and were never able to use the aquatic facilities due to coronavirus. In many cases they were slow to get a refund this year due to red tape.

Still it seems Dallas Aquatics staff have trouble knowing their own rules.

These events on Father’s Day and the anniverary of Juneteenth are ugly. They remind local neighbors of times gone by when city staff catered to whites only. No signage says no colored allowed, but the mindset is on full display.

Other Side Dallas has been following some of these incidents at Fretz Park for almost a month.

Staff has not responded to our many requests for comment. Park Board members are equally silent. Jeff Kitner is the Park Board member for District 11 City Council Member Jaynie Schultz. Neither he, nor other Park Board members, responded to Other Side Dallas.

It isn’t clear if staff receive training on racial sensitivity and stereotypes. It also is not clear if they receive training on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). What is clear is a bias for no colored allowed or persons with disabilities.

Kitner works as Chief Operating Officer for the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce.

June 18, 2022June 18, 2022

American Airlines Jails Wrong Man

A new lawsuit says American Airlines jails wrong man and the details are shocking. Worse, another criminal is still out on the loose.

The lawsuit alleges Michael Lowe was arrested in New Mexico during a celebration with friends. Local police were called to investigate a disturbance and ended up arresting Lowe not for the party, but an outstanding warrant from Tarrant County, Texas.

“Mr. Lowe’s confusion was profound – he did not know where Tarrant County, Texas was and could not even remember the last time he was in the state,” the lawsuit, filed Monday, says. Tarrant County, located west of Dallas, includes the cities of Fort Worth and Arlington.

Lowe said he was not informed for seventeen days the nature of his arrest. He called those seventeen days and nights at the Quay County Detention Center “excruciating.” His only connection to Tarrant County was on a layover flight through Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport.

Now, Lowe is suing American Airlines, saying negligence by American and its employees leds to his improper arrest.

Dallas Fort Worth Airport Incident

In May 2020, a burglar broke into a duty-free store at Dallas Fort Worth airport. Surveillance cameras show the suspect boarding American Airlines flight 2248 (AA2248).

Lowe was on the flight, AA2248, to Reno, Nevada, but denied burglarizing the duty-free store.

Surveillance photos show a suspect wearing different clothing and a different hairstyle.

Airport police asked American Airlines for a passenger manifest for AA2248. The airline provided only one suspect: Michael Lowe.

Lowe Lawsuit

“American Airlines could have provided its entire manifest for the flight or a list of all individuals who matched a certain description (ex: all white males over eighteen and under 65). American Airlines also could have performed an adequate search to identify the correct suspect and provide his information to law enforcement. Instead, American Airlines affirmatively and wrongfully identified Mr. Lowe as the single suspect of the DFW Airport PD’s felony investigation which foreseeably led to Mr. Lowe being arrested and imprisoned for a crime he was innocent of,” the lawsuit reads in part.

Lowe’s court filing he describes the threat of violence from other incarcerated persons. His suit also allegees risk of catching COVID19. This was due to crowded cell conditions at the New Mexico detention facility.

After seventeen days, a guard told him he was being released.

“Sometime after Mr. Lowe’s release from jail, Detective Torres obtained Mr. Lowe’s mug shot from Quay County and compared it to the photos of the culprit; it was obvious that American Airlines had the wrong person,” per Lowe’s lawsuit.

The charges were dismissed, but the lawsuit describes Lowe as a “changed man.”

Scott Palmer, Lowe’s attorney, told local media he places the blame on the airline. “I blame American,” he said. “Without American doing what they did, (the detective) never would have issued a warrant. It all starts with the disclosure of his name and his name only.”

Lowe is seeking damages for the emotional distress of wrongful arrest, as well as his lost wages and income as a result of his detainment.

michael-lowe-v-american-airlines Download

American Airlines Jails Wrong Man – Not Only Incident

The lawsuit comes as American Airlines is hit by American Idol start Kacey Musgraves with a complaint of appalling behavior by a male flight crew member.

American Airlines staff would not comment for Other Side Dallas.

June 17, 2022June 17, 2022

Cowboys Throw Penalty Flag

Jerry Jones and Cowboys throw penalty flag all over idea of second franchise. Eric Johnson had an accident and it wasn’t a coup attempt against TC Broadnax this time. It was closer to Amber Heard testimony in her defamation trial with Johnny Depp.

In a report in TMZ, Jerry Jones blasts the mayor for talk of a second NFL franchise in North Texas, much less Dallas.

In an interview, Jones said, “I like him personally, but he doesn’t have the depth. He doesn’t have the knowledge.”

Jones was responding to Mayor Johnson’s recent suggestion the Chargers re-locate here.

Southern Dallas is the fresh start the @Chargers need! Several sites, including @cottonbowlstad and Hensley Field, would be ideal locations for a state of the art practice facility and world headquarters or stadium. We’re ready for the @NFL in @CityOfDallas! @nflcommish https://t.co/9ed398cOqp
— Mayor Eric L. Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) June 10, 2022

Most fans agreed with Jones about Johnson, but extended it to city administration. It is also unclear if citizens heard wild laughing from the City Manager’s office.

We know Jerry Jones recently had a car accident in Dallas. We didn’t realize he would have a second one so soon running over Eric Johnson.

Cowboys Throw Penalty Flag Among Others

The Cowboys throw penalty flag on Dallas isn’t the only issue. There are problems across Dallas.

Dallas has bad economic numbers due to a permitting office that doesnt issue permits.

Despite the presentation at Wednesday’s board briefing, citizens feel crime is up. Crime is up one you look city wide and not the chief’s containment areas.

Roads are problematic throughout Dallas.

The city council has a problem getting along with one another and their city manager.

Johnson is chasing professional sports franchises instead of ensuring the city runs well.

At the same time, something is afoot. After the failed coup attempt, council members are in distress.

Council member Mendelsohn has defended the mayor to a degree some question.

“Wednesday went very, very bad for the mayor,” one person said. “She knows it, but is now arguing he somehow didn’t fall on his face.”

Several say Mendelsohn is in favor of a charter amendment supporting a strong mayor. That amendment can not happen for two years and some project longer.

A South Dallas activist said, “why would we allow a strong mayor system when we don’t have a strong mayor now?”

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in Dallas metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League as a member club.

In 2021 they finished 12-5 and won the NFC East. They lost their first playoff game against the 10-7 San Francisco 49ers.

June 16, 2022June 16, 2022

Eric Johnson Can’t Get It Up

Eric Johnson can’t get it up to eight. Still.

D Magazine got the scoop Wednesday afternoon during the city council briefings. They report that a behind the scenes effort was underway to encourage Broadnax to resign.

The five signature memo stated “While performance reviews are tentatively scheduled for later this month, we believe for the good of the City of Dallas, we must act expeditiously.”

The memo went on to say: “We hereby request that the performance review of the City Manager and any related official actions supported by a majority of the Dallas City Council, be scheduled on Wednesday, June 15, 2022.”

The plan involved a five signature memo from council members. Those council members are:

Chad West (D1),

Jesse Moreno (D2),

Adam Bazaldua (D7),

Paula Blackmon (D9), and

Cara Mendelsohn (D12).

Separate from the memo, Tennell Atkins (D7) and Gay Donnell Willis (D13) met with Broadnax. They reportedly offered him the courtesy to resign. Neither ever added their name to the now infamous memo.

Council members Blackmon and Willis met with Broadnax again. This was to encourage a quiet agreement to leave by noon Friday.

When that deadline passed, Mayor Can’t Count dropped his public announcement.

Here comes the tricky part. Both West and Bazaldua heard from city staff that the memo would not be filed.

Goodman quotes West as saying the memo would not be filed “without the consent of all five people.” me. I never consented” to it.

Bazaldua stated “my digital signature was used for this memo, without my consent.” Bazaldua specifically referred in this case to Tristan Hallman.

Hallman is the mayor’s chief of policy and communications.

West, Moreno, and Bazaldua all then pulled their names from the five signature memo.

Eric Johnson Can’t Count Again

The politics of Broadnax are clear. He is unhealthy for the City of Dallas.

As noted in local news, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson has called for his ouster.

The Dallas Builders Association also support Broadnax removal.

Dallas Professional Firefighters – who never make a move without getting permission of Dallas Police Association first – also called for Broadnax to be get the boot.

There is a long list of accountability issues with Broadnax’s tenure. Some of those include general management accountability including failure to supervise former Police Chief Reneé Hall, the loss of terabytes of city data, and a nonfunctional permit office inhibiting economic growth.

One concern is that Eric Johnson again showed he is not up to the job of being mayor in Dallas.

A campaign consultant said, “EJ gave us Broadnax another three years.”

He always has to show how smart he is, but he always fails the test,” he continued.”

It’s unclear how council moves forward, but it appears Mayor Broadnax is driving the bus.

Another said “if only Johnson could get it up to eight on an important vote once he might have credibility.”

This all leads to speculation for who Dallas Citizens Council will support in 2023. Other Side Dallas expects candidates to come out shortly after the redistricting completes.

It also leads to questions about why Eric Johnson can’t get it up to eight on important votes.

June 15, 2022June 15, 2022

Broadnax Off Agenda

It appears there is no excitement at today’s Dallas City Council briefing. TC Broadnax off agenda per the city website marking a huge change since last Friday.

What is the meaning of all this? Last week reports surfaced that TC Broadnax’s career in Dallas was over. An agenda item by Mayor Eric Johnson was going to review his performance as chief executive.

Mayor Johnson has made clear he believes Broadnax should be relieved of his duties.

Johnson and three council members, Blackmon (D9), Mendolsohn (D12), and Willis (D13) have asked that the closed session meeting take place.

Wednesday is typically a staff briefing day.

The mayor says the meeting is to “discuss and evaluate the performance and employment of Dallas City Manager TC Broadnax.”

Johnson said, “several of my duly elected colleagues on the Dallas City Council have made it clear in recent days that they also believe it is time for a change.”

He continued, “we are ready to move forward and discuss how best to build for the future of our great city…”

Why Is Broadnax Off Agenda?

There was a great deal of retail politics happening this weekend.

Reports surfaced that seven council members had approached Broadnax about resigning his position. They Mayor’s vote would be eight meaning a majority of the council supported the ouster of Broadnax.

It is becoming clear that Broadnax is has at least one, if not two, votes up in the air. Who those city council members are is not clear.

What is clear is today’s agenda no longer refers to an Executive session meeting about his performance. Additionally, his career does not appear in the draft agenda for next week’s city council meeting either.

June 13, 2022June 13, 2022

Duncanville Field House Shooting

An armed man is dead person is dead after a Duncanville Field House shooting Monday. Details remain unclear on the suspect’s motive.

Police shot the man at the Duncanville Field House Monday morning. There were more than one hbundred children on site attending summer camps police say.

No children sustained injuries per local sources.

Duncanville Field House Shooting

Duncanville police arrived in the area and confronted the man with a firearm.

The suspect arrived at an area hospital via local fire department ambulance. He died of his injuries at the emergency room.

Police will not release any information about the person or what led to the shooting.

A car in the parking lot closed off by crime scene tape and is being investigated.

Students went to the recreation center at 201 James Collins Boulevard for today. Parents may pick up their children at that location.

The shooting comes two weeks after the tragedy of Uvalde and threats at Pinkston High School.

June 13, 2022June 13, 2022

City Manager Broadnax Reacts

Dallas City Manager Broadnax reacts to multiple reports, including in Other Side Dallas, that city officials want him out.

On Friday, Mayor Johnson and others on Dallas City Council made clear they plan to oust him from his position.

Mayor Johnson has made clear he believes Broadnax should be relieved of his duties given ongoing problems under Broadnax’s supervision.

Johnson and three council members, Blackmon (D9), Mendolsohn (D12), and Willis (D13) have asked for the closed session meeting.

The result is a week of arm twisting to get to eight votes. In Facebook posts, Cara Mendolsohn makes clear she thinks they are there.

City Manager Broadnax Reacts: The Statement

City Manager Broadnax’s statement is nonconfrontational over the report stating periodic performance review is critical to me…”

He went on to say that these reviews “demonstrate progress” and “ensure transparency…”

Both of these are called into question as Broadnax has allowed Chief Garcia to hide real time crime data from citizens. Additionally, Broadnax was reluctant to come forward on the city data loss endangering prosecutions.

Broadnax went on to say that he was proud of the hard work and goals accomplished relating to strategic priorities.

He concluded his statement about improving lives in Dallas.

Specifically he mentioned actions that were “equitable, accountable, and legitimate, together as One Dallas.” Mayor Johnson is unmoved.

Broadnax spent Friday at an Austin area spa. He attended a Texas City Management Association conference there.

It is unclear who takes over day to day city management if Broadnax is pushed out. There are also other questions about

June 11, 2022June 11, 2022

TC Broadnax Showdown Coming

A Dallas City Council/TC Broadnax showdown is coming Wednesday, June 15 it appears. The showdown is the culmination of years of infighting between the city council and city manager.

Mayor Johnson has made clear he believes Broadnax should be relieved of his duties.

Johnson and three council members, Blackmon (D9), Mendolsohn (D12), and Willis (D13) have asked that the closed session meeting take place.

Wednesday is typically a staff briefing day.

The mayor’s memo sent Friday says the purpose of the special called meeting is to “discuss and evaluate the performance and employment of Dallas City Manager TC Broadnax.”

In a press statement, Johnson said, “several of my duly elected colleagues on the Dallas City Council have made it clear in recent days that they also believe it is time for a change.”

He continued, “we are ready to move forward and discuss how best to build for the future of our great city and its amazing people, and that is why I have placed the item on the City Council’s agenda for next week.”

TC Broadnax Showdown: Public Safety

During a June 2002 city council meeting, Mayor Eric Johnson had a lot of questions for Police Chief Renee Reneé Hall during a special meeting about police response to George Floyd protests.

It was later learned Chief Hall deliberately misled the public about police actions. Post event there was no clear accountability for the police.

Before the meeting began two hundred local citizens spoke out about the city’s reaction to ongoing protests. They were almost all outraged about what happened on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge.

Beyond the George Floyd protests, a legal challenge can proceed against the city. Dallas lost Qualified Immunity by the family of Tony Timpa.

Beyond, Timpa another in custody death happened just over two weeks ago similar to Timpa’s. City police have not improved their response to mental health issues.

Additionally on the public safety front, the city “lost” nearly twenty terabytes of data when an employee deleted files including police evidence from city servers.

TC Broadnax Showdown: Economic Development

Another area of concern for some city council members is economic development. Mr. Broadnax’s tensure shows a race backward in this area.

Broadnax and then EcoDev chief Dr. Eric Anthony Johnson pushed a $3M grant package to a grocer in South Dallas. The grant had no strings attached and left city taxpayers paying the bill. The grocer was a politically connected friend of Broadnax.

While Broadnax was providing millions to connected cronies, his EcoDev staff harasses mom and pop small businesses.

There are also ongoing permitting issues within Dallas.

Dallas permitting can average roughly four months to get a commercial building permit and more than a month for residential permits.

Some say approval times were projected to reach as high as ten to twelve weeks due to staffingg and executive decision making.

One local businessman noted, “No one on staff is invested in making the permit process go smoothly. Least of all TC.”

The issue is further punctuated by Elon Musk’s development outside Austin, Texas. In a recent Elon Musk statementhe said, “in Texas, it took us eighteen months to build a Gigafactory. In California, we’d still be working on the permits.”

Most large Texas cities expedite economic development projects that bring jobs and opportunity to the tax base. Dallas does not seem to show the same interest in doing the same.

There is also no clear city plan is to address homelessness, road maintenance, or 911 call center response.

Broadnax was at a Texas City Management Association conference at a Hyatt resort and spa in Cedar Creek, Texas. Broadnax makes more than $400,000 per year.

June 10, 2022June 10, 2022

LaDamonyon Dewayne Hall Dies In Custody

Rack up another in custody death for Dallas Police and Dallas Fire Rescue responders.

This time the victim was LaDamonyon Dewayne Hall and it comes as the Supreme Court says a lawsuit can proceed against the City of Dallas in the death of Tony Timpa, by Officer Dustin Dillard.

LaDamonyon Dewayne Hall Situation

In late May, forty-seven year old Hall died after she was handcuffed and restrained by Dallas police officers and Dallas Fire-Rescue officials in East Dallas.

LaDamonyon Hall’s autoposy is pending, but in video released by Dallas police it shows responders pinning LaDamonyon Hall similar to the Timpa case.

Police officers responded to a 911 call for a disturbance near a car lot.

Hall can be seen in the video in various levels of responsiveness – sometimes answering officer questions, sometimes answering unintelligibly.

Per police, Hall became agitated, stood up, yelled at the first responders, and started removing her clothes.

Officers pinned her to the ground where she continued to “thrash about and scream” per Deputy Chief Terrence Rhodes, but Hall can be heard saying “you’re hurting me.”

She was put on a stretcher and into an ambulance. On the way to the hospital, Hall “became quiet and started to lose vital signs,” Rhodes said.

She is handcuffed and a hood is placed over her face. She appears unresponsive just before arriving at the hospital.

Dallas police have a General Order stating that video in these cases must be released within seventy-two hours, but police leadership waited nearly two weeks to do so.

Hall was transported to Baylor University Medical Center unconscious, unresponsive, and in cardiac arrest. She was pronounced dead at 2:05PM.

LaDamonyon Dewayne Hall Video

Video of the interaction can be seen here:

Dallas police are investigating the incident, but in numerous previous incidents, police are always cleared of charges despite starting an incident with a person breathing on their own and ending up dead.

Dallas Fire Rescue officials say they are also looking into the incident.